In this study, the authors used qualitative techniques to look for reoccurring themes related to 87 project managers' responses to interview questions associated with entry into the field of project management and career progression. The study found that despite the efforts of higher education, professional associations, and their professional development and certifications, the project management remains a destination by accident. Professional project managers do not intend to be project managers but "fall into" the profession. This study provides a conceptual framework for project manager career trajectory that has implications for project management training and mentoring and contributes to the growing literature on the accidental profession.
The project manager is key to the success of any project. But the path to becoming a successful project manager is ill defined. In this study, the authors analyzed interview results of 87 project managers' responses to questions associated with entry into the field, career progression, and advice for the new project manager, seeking to better understand practicing project manager career progression. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to identify recurring themes from the interview summaries. The themes and the resulting conceptual framework provide evidence that supports the development of successful project manager career path. Further, the results suggest individual project management competencies in soft skills as a key enabler of project execution.
Due to the expected influx of veterans attending college, it is critical that higher education not only be cognizant of the projected growth but also take a proactive stand and properly plan for these students' success. Academic planning begins with advising professionals developing open communications and becoming equipped to guide veteran students through the matriculation process. Veteran students often have difficulty interpreting university scheduling and frequently have access to only a limited advising staff for course selection information, which may prompt some to not persist in an online degree program. This study's findings suggest the degree map is a powerful tool to help students through class selection and sequencing. The degree map data provides transparency that will contribute to institutional and governmental monitoring for ongoing outreach to student veterans.
Qualitative analysis techniques were used to identify recurring themes from project manager interview summaries undertaken by 120 project management students. The themes and the resulting conceptual framework provide evidence for the factors that support the development of successful global project managers. Such factors were found to include taking the initiative to acquire an in-depth understand the local environment and to develop culture and language competence.Keywords: PM global careers, PM advice, PM career progression, Global PM Challenges BackgroundOrganizations continue to be challenged in their ability to coordinate business on a global scale, integrate and manage business activities occurring in different countries, partly due to inexperienced project managers. To that purpose, international companies require project managers with a global perspective who understand their customers, governments and market requirement across different countries, who have an ability to leverage country and market differences to achieve organizational strategic objectives. As multinational corporations create knowledge networks of workers, suppliers, and partners across the globe, to collaborate in an effective means, the need for an effective global project manager is critical. Although the need for experienced and skilled global project managers has been established in previous studies, many organizations do not have a formal mechanism for training and equipping their global managers on how to successfully lead a global project. The aim of this study is the leverage the experiences and knowledge of practicing global project managers by interviewing them and learning from them based on their experiences on the core competencies that successful global project manager must possess to be successful. IntroductionAlthough the literature provides extensive guidance on success factors for managing projects, it is suggested there is no substitute for actually asking successful project managers to relate their international experiences, lessons learned, and perceptions regarding the factors associated with successful international project assignments. For this reason, the researchers undertook a study using qualitative methods to analyze 120 interview summaries of international project managers.Students in a graduate project management degree program were assigned to interview a professional project manager with global experience and pose questions associated with working in a foreign country, personal preparation, and advice for a project manager considering an international assignment. Although each interview included some general discussion and observations, the primary questions asked to each project manager were as follows: 1). What was the hardest part of working in another country?2). Looking back, what would they have done differently to prepare themselves for that assignment?3). What advice would he/ she give to someone considering an international PM assignment?This current study will benefit any new entrants ...
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